When Alberto Ferreras was in kindergarten in Caracas, his class was rehearsing Jingle Bells for the annual Christmas show. Sister Mary, the music teacher, came over to him. She bent down and said, “Honey, don’t sing. Just move your lips, but DON’T SING!” “I was five years old, she was a nun, and it was a lot like having God come down from heaven to tell me that I was not … [Read more...]
The chain of responsibility
AI in the world of interpretation By Dr. Holly Silvestri Not all algorithmic decision-making systems require the same level of scrutiny. However, where these systems are making decisions about people, resources that concern people and their access to those resources, or issues that affect the ability of people to fully participate in society, they do merit a good deal of … [Read more...]
Taking stock and looking forward
We are well into 2024, which makes this a good time to take stock of what we learned about our changing world last year and what challenges we may face in the months and years ahead. The interpreting profession in the U.S. is experiencing strong growth, with demand for interpreters expected to continue to increase in the coming years. This trend is being driven by a variety of … [Read more...]
From written to spoken: the challenges and possibilities of AI interpretation
The image that accompanies this article was created by artificial intelligence (AI) in response to the prompt “communication, spoken language.” It is unsettling, confusing, curious, and maybe even a little scary. Any mention of AI within the professional translation and interpretation community seems to trigger a lot of these same responses. Among some who use T&I … [Read more...]
To Connections and Happy Hours
I have a confession to make. When I got sick last year and couldn’t attend ATA63, I was not a happy camper. The annual ATA conference is a high point in the year, an important chance to connect with peers who are also friends, make business connections, and meet new friends. And when the division websites went down earlier this year, I was again an unhappy camper. I look … [Read more...]